Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1887-09-01
TIE HUMAN MEMORY.
EXTENT TO WHICH 1T MAY eE CUl-
TlVArEO AND STRENGTHENED.

niemory-Lawycrs ON Cross Examination
Quick studies.
There Is one fact perfectly well cstab
liShcd about the memory now, and that Is
that more than any other faculty Of the
mind il may be cultivated, strengthened
and improved. 1t stands absolutely alone
in this respect. The imaginative faculty
the rcaSsuring powers, indeed all the nat
ural operations of the mind, may be devel
oped; but the memory, properly trained
accornplisheS marvels, and, like Jacls's
beanstalk, grows TO the skies in single
night, or at least within very short pc
riod Of time. Indeed you may plant the
seed and raise the flower. Cases stand on
record where men and women have started
with no memory at all, with positive in
ability to recall past events, names figures,
dates, etc, and have educated themselves
10 do all this with promptness and GER
tainty. And this much cannot be said for
any other of our mental possessions.
As an illustration OF the closeness with
which lawyers study the human memory.
the writer remembers being very much
impressed one day, several years ago. with
some comments made by the late Francis
bangs on the testimony of witness
whom he had examined the previous day
In the course of n we'll known case which
was then pending. Mr.. Bangs was a
marvclously keen and rapid questioner
on cross examinations and he had tripped
M the witness referred TO so that he hal
contradicted himself fatty. The point
hal no particular bearing OH the case, but
the unexpected withdrawal by the witness
oil statement which he had previously
made and reiterated with peculiar posi-
tvencss tended To affect his credibil;ty.
And yet, said the lawyer, speaking
Of the circumstance, .'thc man was ali
right, | think. Bad as the thing looked.
and his whole testimony was undoubtedly
clouded by the contradiction, / believe he
was honest in his first misstatement |
have been absolutely amazed more than
once by the perSistency with which wit
neSSes often declare that they have done
things which they have never done, and
they do not get the thing straight until
questions under cross examination call ur
some association OF ideas or actually de
Inonstrate TO them that what they say is
impossible. And then they take it all
back. II witness of this kind is on TN,
other side 1 don't mind, but if the witness
belongs 10 me it makes me feel pretty
ugly"
QUESTIONING 8 WITNESS.
1t is the readiness of memory in n law
yer which makes him an adept ut eros
examination. 1t is his skill in this direc
ton which enables him to yoke the.an.
swer just given with the answer of IN
hour before and probe the witness rs to its
inconsistency. And it behooves the man
of law, therefore, 10 cultivate his memory,
just as IL would appear to be the wisest
move on the part of the modern alder
laauic witness to cultivate his forgetful-
ness. But this is only an appearance. II
Is only She witness who remembers well
mud is aLSe to recall tho circumstances
wildly about which he is questioned, and
can adjust they relative Importance, who
can forget with GOy success. The non mi
ricordo man, who .torgets everything, OF
einmsily Is soon tripp,N up.
The actor would seem to have moro use
Tor his memory than the l. zen and women
OF other professions. He is compelled not
only to remember ideas but <act words,
and when his task on n single l. ~oduction
is multiplied by the number in W 'bich he
S2kes part during his career, the %sults
which he achieves appear almost inc. ed
tble, and it Is obvious that no such tas Y
50 made on the actors memory now in
these days OF combination and indefinite
repetition OF parts rs was made in the days
of stock companies, when programmes
were in a constant condition of rcarrange.
ment and the bringing forward of q new
play was almost nightly occurrence.
Then parts were studied over night, or al
the best within few days. And two OF
three rehcarsals were considered sufficient
in the way Of preparation. Under such
circumstances the actor was constantly
rul lp1 fOr Of
A THOUSAND PARTS.
az have no doubt" said an old actor
the other day TO the writer, that many
Of the players Of thirty or forty years ago,
who made the profession their life work,
learned during their career as many as
1000 parts. / have learned l 900 Barts
myself, and became identified with runs,
as they arc called now, very early in my
career. Take, for instance, the case Of a
player In stock company in st. Louis or
pittsburg, when IL was the custom of the
star 70 travel and find different support
ing company waiting for him ia each diff.
ferent city he visited. / tell you the sup
porting company had to do some tall
memorizing. 1t was no unusual thing
for Forrest TO change his bill every night.
Those were the times that n man had &c
have quick study or he was not much
h1| III vic plUle1olDit- GlAly ltukIls
were nothing 20 him."
How much Is a leugth''
"A length is forty lines. II is the meas
ure by which the theatrical copyist was
paid, and Is still paid, because the type
writer IS not tolerated in any good stock
theatre. The copying Of plays and parts
is one Of the pcrquisites Of the prompter
The copying q a play by an old copyist Is
matter OF so. But then the book was
perfectly marked, 80 that ifa stage mann
ger took II mp he could rehearse from 10 al
once without having 70 devise exits and
entrances md stage business ms he pro
ceeded. These type written copies OF
plays, costing 81 or $40, are mere tran
scripts Of the dialogue. When they arc
finished and tied with blue ribbons the,
are only half done. But outside Of In,
desire among old managers % cherish good
old theatrical customs. the copying Oh
plays Is left 20 the theatre, because under
such arrangement no copy Of q valuabl,
manuscript can possibly get into the hand,
or pirates 10 has been since the introduc
ton Of the type writer that stolen and
printed versions Of plays have been A
plenty. New York Mail and Express.
Everything Is Jubilee"